Dan Patrick enjoys Bethpage Black like other U.S. Open fans

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Dan Patrick, who has covered Super Bowls, World Series, Olympic Games, NBA Championships and a lot more in his 26 years in sports media, is spending Saturday at Bethpage Black. Like most spectators, he's never played the course."I've had a few chances to play here, but ..." he said with a shrug. Like offers to tee it up at ultra-private Pine Valley, it has just never worked out for Patrick at New York's toughest muni.When Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington played the 18th hole, Patrick watched them intently. He wondered if Tiger would hit driver and blow the ball past the bunkers, or lay up with an iron and take the bunkers out of play.An ailing back keeps Patrick, who hosts a three-hour syndicated sports talk radio show weekdays on si.com and danpartick.com, from playing as much as he'd like. But he is still a member at a private club near his home in Connecticut. It's nice, but nothing too fancy.Between bites of a hot dog loaded with sauerkraut and mustard, and sips of a Michelob Ultra, he said that he's picking Mike Weir, winner of the 2003 Masters, to win this year's U.S. Open.Follow David Dusek on Twitter